Karape war shield

Rectangular shields from the Tambul region, at the western end of the Western Highlands, are similar in many ways to the shields of the Melpa and Hagen populations; the most obvious difference is that they are slightly smaller.
This shield features a fine weave called Kanda along the top edge. It is decorated with a central motif in the shape of a segmented circle, accompanied on the edges by triangular designs. A horizontal piece of wood is fixed to the back to reinforce it, with a rattan tie attached through three central holes.
Thomas Surie tells us about the design of this shield in 2004: “When the shield moved in battle, the patterns and colors caused lightning bolts to flash, frightening the enemy.
A native of Tambul, Thomas Suri Taisa worked as a researcher at the Papua New Guinea Cocoa and Coconut Institute from November 2000 to April 2011. He teamed up with local growers to improve yields.
He is a lecturer at the University of Natural Resources and Environment of Papua New Guinea and a Master of Agricultural Technology at the University of Sydney.

Price: €11,000

Sold without base